


The Protected

by Goodnightwife



Category: Bucky Barnes - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Bucky Barnes Feels, F/M, Marvel Universe, Protective Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 12:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15774264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goodnightwife/pseuds/Goodnightwife
Summary: Bucky meets Elena during a mission when she saves his ass. But when they are sent on a mission together and things get rough, who is protecting whom?





	The Protected

Bucky stumbled through the closest door he could find and slammed into someone on the other side, knocking them to the ground with a thud. He looked back out through the peephole in the door and saw the Hydra agents run past him without looking back. He let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t feel like fighting today. 

Turning to see who he had knocked down, Bucky found a woman picking herself up off the floor. She stood, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder, with a huff. Her long hair hung loosely down in front of her face. She raised an arm under the curtain of hair and flipped it back to reveal her face. Rosy cheeks and light colored eyes met him in the dim light. Her delicate pink lips parted slightly as she looked him up and down. She took a deep breath, her ample bosom rising and falling beneath a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up just passed her elbows. She reached out a pale arm and, placing a hand on his stomach, she gently but surprisingly firmly pushed him to the side to glance out the door. Seeing no one, she locked it and turned back to him. 

“This way,” her soft voice beckoned to him. “There’s a tunnel that leads out to the woods, you’ll be safe there until things calm down.”

”Do you know me?” He asked suspiciously.

”Not really, Steve sent me to help you.” She smiled and the dark room brightened with the twinkle in her eyes. She turned and started to walk away.

“What’s your name?” Bucky whispered as he followed her.

“Is that important?” She asked over her shoulder as she continued purposefully down a dark hallway, letting the fingers of her left hand drag along the wall at the exact height of her shoulder. She seemed to be taking very intentional steps from the start of the hallway until she reached a specific spot and her fingers pushed into the wall, triggering the opening of the wall at the end of the hallway. Bucky couldn’t help but notice the sway of her hips when she walked and the curve of her body as she turned over her shoulder to look back at him.

“In case you ever need to come this way again, take exactly four of my steps and the latch is at my shoulder on the left.” She said with a grin. “You can remember that, can’t you?”

“Yes.” Bucky replied, his brow furrowing in confusion. Why would he need to come this way again? She led him through the open wall and down a set of stairs which ended at a tunnel. The wall slid closed leaving them in the pitch black tunnel. Bucky paused, ready for an attack, as she reached out and flicked a switch that brought bare bulbs to life. The tunnel was dry and just barely high enough for Bucky to stand up straight in it, so there was plenty of room for her to stand. She turned a smiled at him under the harsh light of the bulb above her head, giving her an eerie, almost inhuman look.

“Come on, we have a bit of walk ahead of us,” she said, her eyes twinkling and her voice sounding empty in the tunnel. The lights were equally spaced about 20 feet apart from each other. The bulbs created circles of light that didn’t quite reach each other, leaving patches of darkness in between. Bucky followed her cautiously. He was sure he could take her if it turned out that she wasn’t from Steve, but if this was a trap, he didn’t want to be caught with nowhere to run.

“What’s your name?” He demanded, stopping a few feet into the tunnel. “What’s your specific mission? Tell me or I’m not taking another step.”

“Officially,” she sighed a long-suffering sigh and turned back to him. “My name is Alex Tyler. I work for a private security agency that contracts out to various organizations. Currently, I work for Mr. Tony Stark who has assigned me to follow the orders of one Steven Grant Rogers, AKA Captain America, to find, guard, and secure the return of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, AKA Bucky, AKA the Winter Soldier.”

“And unofficially?” He crossed his arms over his expansive chest, feet firmly planted in the tunnel.

“Unofficially,” she stared at the wall of the tunnel, a far away look in her eyes. “I’m repaying a debt and doing a favor for a friend.”

“And your name unofficially?” He asked softly as he let his arms fall to his side and took a step toward her. She noticed the change in his demeanor and her eyes twinkled as she grinned up at him.

“You’ll have to earn that one, Sarge.” She shook her head causing her long hair to sway back and forth across her back. “Are you ready to move now? I’m not asking you to trust me further than the end of this tunnel. When we get to the house, I can get your a secure line to Steve and you can confirm all of this with him.”

“To the end of the tunnel then,” he agreed with a nod and gestured for her to walk ahead of him. At least he would be able to keep an eye on her that way. She turned in her heels and began walking under the harsh lights. Her tight jeans showed off her hips swaying side to side with each step. Those hips could hypnotize him if he wasn't careful. They walked in silence for a while when the tunnel took a sharp right turn.

“Wait,” he said harshly, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her from rounding the corner.

“What's wrong?” She asked. He answered by drawing his gun from the waistband of his jeans and inching towards the corner.

“There's no one there,” she said confidently.

“How do you know?” He asked, not letting his guard drop.

“I just know. I have a sense about things and I sense that it's an empty tunnel.” She replied ominously.

“Alright then, you go on and when you get shot, I'll leave your body to rot.” He replied. She only rolled her eyes and sauntered around the corner.

“Come on, Sarge.” She called from around the corner. He sighed and followed. This was going to be a long day.

They walked in silence until the end of the tunnel presented itself with a small wooden door near the floor. She leaned down and flipped open a panel to reveal a keypad. Typing in a few numbers, she put a hand on the door and with a loud scraping noise that didn’t seem proportional to the size of the door, it opened.

“What's the code?” He asked with eyebrows raised. “Just in case I have to come this way again.” He threw her words back at her.

“The date,” she grinned. “The date plus my measurements. The code changes daily. I’m sure you can figure that out, you are a super soldier after all.” And with that she crawled through the tiny door. “Come on, Sarge.”

Bucky got down on his hands and knees and crawled through the small opening, his shoulders barely fitting, and stood up in a basement. Alex pushed him aside as she kicked the door closed and started walking away.

“Shove that dresser back in front of the door, would ya?” She tossed over her shoulder. Bucky turned and saw a tall chest of drawers standing caddy-corner to the edge of the doorframe as if the opening of the door had shoved it over. Shrugging off that impossibility, Bucky pushed it back in front of the door. It was heavier than it looked. He turned and let his eyes roam the basement. The walls were lined with similar dressers and chests and even a few china and curio cabinets. If he didn’t know which dresser to move to find the door, he realized that he might have never found it. Taking note of which dresser the door was behind, he followed Alex up the stairs.

The basement door opened into the kitchen. Everything looked clean but old. It was sparsely furnished with only the bare necessities. A couple of straight-backed wooden chairs managed to completely surround a tiny round table with a bowl of bright red apples on it. Empty light green Formica countertops lined three of the four walls. An ancient grey refrigerator with a silver latch handle stood next to a door that led to a small living room. He followed Alex through the house and she led him to an office. Opening a closet door to reveal a complicated looking setup of monitors and computers, Bucky saw every room in the house and all the land around the house as well as a view of several roads, he supposed, that led up to the house. A humble house for such sophisticated technology.

Alex sat on the stool and began typing and after a few seconds, Steve popped up on one of the monitors.

“Did you find him?” He asked Alex without any other sort of greeting.

“Of course, I have him here.” Alex moved and gestured for Bucky to sit. He plopped down on the stool, grateful to see his friend.

“Buck, are you okay?” Steve asked, his brow drawing together in concern.

“I’m fine. Thanks for pulling me out of there, but what’s going on, Steve?” Bucky replied.

“I can’t go into it right now, pal, but I will explain everything as soon as I see you. For now, trust Alex, she will help you.”

“Steve…” Bucky turned to look for her but she had left. Thankful for the privacy, he turned back to Steve and leaned closer to the screen to whisper. “Am I supposed to know her? I don’t remember her at all.” Bucky’s memory was still a little sketchy and he tended to forget people he only met once. 

“No, Buck, you didn’t know her. I met her a few months ago and Tony’s known her for a few years and believe me, she’s trustworthy. Don’t underestimate her though.”

“What does that mean?” Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“You’ll find out I’m sure.” Steve chuckled. “Just trust me when I say that she can protect you. She will have your back in a fight and you’ll be grateful to have her there. As soon as the heat dies down there, I will transmit instructions on where and when to meet me. Alex will make sure you get there.”

“Um… okay. So just wait here until you call?”

“That’s pretty much it, pal, I’m sorry, I know how much you hate waiting. I sent some clothes and other necessities for you.” Steve paused as another voice came over the speaker.

“I need to talk to her now.” Tony’s voice carried from someplace off screen.

“Alright, Tony.” Steve nodded and turned back to the screen. “Will you get Alex back in there, Bucky?”

“Sure Steve, we’ll wait for your call that the coast is clear to move out.”

“Good, hopefully it won’t take more than a week or so.” Steve assured him as he stood and Tony took his place.

“Hey Tin Man, give me my girl.” Tony said curtly.

“Alex?” Bucky turned his head and called over his shoulder. “Some jerk wants to talk to you.” He smirked at Tony and stood as she came back in the room.

“I hope you aren’t talking about Steve that way.” She smiled up at him but the smile faded when she saw Tony’s face on the screen. “Right, not Steve. Give me a minute, would ya, Sarge? Feel free to give yourself a tour of the house.”

Alex sat down on the stool and looked up at Tony’s face on the monitor. Bucky heard her say “yes sir” once before he left the room and quietly closed the door. Time to explore this house, if he was going to be stuck there for a week he needed to know it inside and out to feel secure.

 

The living room was just as bare as the kitchen. A couch and coffee table standing in front of the fireplace were the only things that adorned the room aside from one old bookshelf. No pictures hung on the walls, no knickknacks gathered dust. Whoever lived here had sparse taste; he had a certain appreciation for that. Being on the run didn’t always lend itself well to hanging lots of stuff on the walls or having mementos. Down a short hallway he found a small bathroom, with a surprisingly large shower, and two bedrooms. Each bedroom had a bed and a chest of drawers. Everything was clean, just old. The quilts that covered the beds had long since lost their colors and the towels that were folded on the dressers looked very nearly threadbare.

Going back into the living room, he unlocked and opened the front door. He had seen all the screens in the office closet showing him the general layout of the yard, but he needed to see it for himself. He stepped out onto a covered porch that ran the length of the front of the grey house with steps down each side, a simple charcoal grill stood against the house. A driveway on the left sported a black crossover, Mazda CX-9, that looked relatively normal and not out of place. Bucky stepped off the porch and started to walk around the house. He found each camera expertly hidden behind fake panels, but he realized he might not have found them if he didn’t already know what areas of the yard were covered. Whoever set this house up was an expert and very well funded. 

Forest surrounded the house on all sides, the driveway lead through the trees to a main road. Based on how far the Hydra agents changed him and how far they walked through the tunnel, he guessed they were about three miles outside the town. Rounding the house, he stepped back up on the porch and listened. Birds in the trees, a rabbit burrowing a hole near the edge of the forest, a dog barking roughly half a mile away, and a car driving down the main road that passed without slowing. And footsteps from inside the house. Alex must be done with her conversation with Tony. She stepped out onto the porch with him.

“Did you give the house a good once-over?” She asked, her twinkling eyes scanning the edge of the trees just as his had. 

“Yep, who put this place together?” 

“Tony. A few years ago. I’ll tell you about it sometime,” she responded, her eyes not leaving the trees but based on the far away look on her face, she no longer saw the trees. Shaking her head slightly, causing her long hair to sway against her back and a lock fall over her shoulder, she looked up at Bucky. “In the meantime, I have something for you.”

She turned and walked back into the house, leaving the front door open. Bucky followed her and closed and locked the door. It was heavier than it appeared, he wondered what it was made of under the old wooden facade. Making a mental note to ask her about the internal structure of the house, Bucky followed her into the office. She had stepped around a desk and pulled what looked like a watch out of one of the drawers. 

“This watch is linked to the house’s security system,” she explained as she handed it over to him. “By putting it on you give your consent to the house’s artificial intelligence to monitor your vitals and your location within a 10 mile radius of the center of the house. In return, the house will alert you of any breach of security within that 10 mile radius. He’ll tell you about cars driving down the road if you want. The only stipulation is that it has to go on your flesh arm.”

“You have one too?” Bucky asked, turning the device over in his hands. 

“Yep,” she responded, holding up her arm for his inspection. Her watch was identical and as unimpressive looking as his. He shrugged and put the watch on his arm. 

“The house has an A.I., huh?” He asked.

“It’s a Stark creation, isn’t it?” Alex responded with a grin.

“What’s it’s name?”

“My name is Bill,” a male, British voice sounded through the room. “Good evening, Sergeant Barnes.”

“Bill?” Bucky raised an eyebrow at Alex who simply shrugged and grinned again. Her smile was becoming infections and her eyes twinkled with almost every grin, he thought, as the corners of his mouth began to lift of their own accord.

“Hungry?” Alex asked, walking toward the kitchen. “Bill, secure the perimeter please.”

“Yes ma’am. The perimeter is secured.” Bill replied. 

“Does Bill work like FRIDAY?” Bucky asked, following Alex into the kitchen, realizing that he was quite hungry. 

“Mostly, yes, except Bill only follows me 10 miles from the house. FRIDAY follows Stark around the world.” Alex threw Bucky an apple and he immediately started munching on it. She opened the ancient fridge and bent down to investigate its contents. It was impressively stocked with food and beer but Bucky had to force himself to notice the food and not her round bottom sticking up in the air. “How do you feel about steaks?”

“Sounds good.” He coughed, choking slightly around a chunk of apple. 

“Great!” She stood and grinned over at him and his eyes snapped back to hers. “Grill’s on the porch. Get it started, would ya? I’ll get everything else ready.”

Bucky nodded and took himself back to the porch where he fired up the small grill and stood watching the clouds roll in. Looked like a storm was brewing. 

“Bill, what’s the weather report?” Bucky asked the air, knowing Bill was always listening. 

“Local weather reports indicate 100% chance of thunderstorms all night, Sir.”

“Thanks, call me Bucky,” he replied. “What happens if the house loses power?”

“There are backup power supplies under the house that are not reliant upon local power resources,” Bill replied. “The security system and my systems are all linked to it, there will be no disruption of security or my systems should the house lose power.”

“But the lights go out?”

“Yes, it helps to maintain the illusion that this is a normal house. Mr. Stark has yet to provide a noticeable generator.”

“Of course.” Bucky grumbled, watching the clouds gather and the wind pick up. Alex came out with a plate of two sizable steaks and a plate of vegetables ready for grilling. 

“You do know how to grill, right?” She asked, one of her eyebrows raise up at him. 

“Yes, I do.” He replied taking the plate from her. He had to suppress his grin at her cute expression and forced a scowl. 

“Okay, just asking.” She held her hands up in mock surrender before taking a couple steps to the porch railing and looking up at the sky. “Storm’s coming, we might lose power.”

“Yeah, I was just asking Bill about the house's’ power features. You got flashlights handy?”

“Yep, always do.” Alex took her eyes from sky and looked him up and down. “Do you want to shower while I cook?”

“Are you saying I need a shower?” Bucky smirked as he shuffled the coals around, waiting for them to reach the perfect temperature. 

“Yep,” she replied, letting the “p” have a little extra pop. “Don't worry, I won't burn your steak.” 

“Fine. Which room is mine?” He asked while heading toward the door. 

“The first one, but you can pick the one you think you can sleep in.” Alex replied with a toss of her hand. 

“I don't sleep.” Bucky deadpanned. 

“So it should be an easy choice then.” She winked at him and turned toward the grill. With a shake of his head, Bucky turned and headed into the house. 

He went to the first bedroom and found the clothes Steve had sent in the dresser. He pulled out a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and clean boxers and stepped into the bathroom. The shower was the most up to date space in the house except for Bill. It was large and completely tiled except for the clear door, and had jets that hit him in all the right places to relax his muscles. It had been a long mission that ended badly. Alex had saved his ass by getting him out of there. He wondered if she knew the full impact her presence had on him. 

Under the stream of hot water, he let his mind wander. Since Alex had started leading him away from that door, he hadn’t felt his normal level of anxiety. He was alert and his senses not dulled at all, but he wasn’t the wreck of a man he typically thought himself to be. And he didn’t even notice it until he actually stopped to think about it. What had she done? He swiftly turned off the water and dried himself off. Throwing his clothes on, he didn’t even notice his dripping wet hair as he rushed from the bathroom and found Alex in the kitchen.

“What did you do to me?” He demanded, standing in the doorway as she put the steaks on the table. 

“What?” She asked, eyes wide. 

“What did you do to me?” He repeated. He lowered his head and stepped toward her, giving her his best glare. She took a step back but didn’t look appropriately afraid of him. “And why aren’t you scared of me? Don’t you know what I’m capable of?”

“Yes, I know.” Alex responded calmly, her eyes twinkling a little bit in the kitchen’s light. “Why don’t we sit and eat and I will tell you all about myself and why I’m not afraid of you. Okay?” 

Bucky stared at her, trying to figure her out. She showed no fear around him, she didn’t hesitate to tease him or smile at him and she didn’t even know him. He stepped to the table, pulled out a chair so old he wondered if it would even hold him, and carefully sat. Alex sat across from him. 

“I promise I didn’t poison the food.” She said softly, her eyes searching his. He realized now that they were grey, like the storm clouds gathering outside, her eyes darkened toward the iris to a dark grey. He saw no hint of blue or green. 

“How do I know that? Am I supposed to take your word for it?” He demanded harshly. 

“Steve told you that you can trust me, he trusts me.” She replied. “Now it’s time for you to trust me a little bit further. Eat up and I will tell you about myself.”

“Everything?”

“Everything that matters.”

“Alright.”

They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Bucky couldn’t help but be distracted by the woman across from him. Steve trusted her and that meant something to him. Even when he was the Winter Soldier, Steve had been there for him, working to save him from himself and Hydra. Alex was forming the story in her mind. She had told it many times, but this was Bucky, it had to come out right. He had to trust her if they were going to get through this without killing each other. And she honestly liked him, she really didn’t want to have to kill him. Steve would never speak to her again. Tony… he might not care so much. 

When the food was gone and the dishes rinsed in the sink, Alex pulled out a couple of beers and walked into the living room making herself comfortable on one end of the couch. 

“Story time, Sarge.” She said as Bucky sat at the other end of the couch. He took a swig of his beer and waited for her to begin. Her eyes already far away. The storm clouds made the sky grow prematurely dark, but neither turned a light on. 

“I’m not exactly sure where I was born and I don’t know who my parents were and it doesn’t really matter. When I turned 16, the orphanage I had grown up in in Romania turned me out into the streets. I decided stealing was a good way to earn a living until I got caught. Prison is not a good place for a 16 year old girl, so when a man came in and made a bargain with me, I didn’t refuse him. I didn’t know who he was or what he wanted, just that he was going to take me away from that place.” Alex paused, took a swig of beer, and after letting out a dry laugh, continued. “I should have stayed in prison. He took me to a Hydra facility where the experiments began. I’m not sure what they pumped into me, but they were trying to make soldiers. You know that story.”

“Did you ever see… me?” Bucky asked softly.

“No, I didn’t. I knew of the Winter Soldier though, mostly from stories the guards told.”

“What did they want from you specifically?”

“I’m what they call a mutant. I was born with an ability to affect the way people feel. Hydra took that and, after a few now deceased scientists had their way with me and my blood, they discovered that I can actually alter brain chemistry and elicit different emotions from people. Of course, per Hydra’s typical protocol, I was weaponized. They pumped me full of a serum to enhance my strength and set me loose.”

“But you’re so…” Bucky gestured his hand toward her. 

“I’m what?” Alex grinned at him over her beer. “Short? Chubby? Ordinary? Forgettable? Yeah, Hydra thought so too. The perfect weapon is the one you never suspect. My first target was some diplomat, I think he was more of a test than a target. I didn’t want to get my hands dirty so I convinced him to take his own life.”

“How did you do that?”

“I made him so depressed that death was the only way out,” she replied bitterly. Her disdain for her own actions displayed across her face.

“Go on.” Bucky told her.

“My second target was Tony. He had just announced himself as Ironman and Hydra wanted him out of the game quickly.”

“What happened?” Bucky asked when she paused her story.

“I tried but I just couldn’t kill him.”

“He beat you?”

“No,” Alex laughed. “No, even his Iron Man armor couldn’t hold me back. I just couldn’t make myself do it. I never bought into Hydra’s agenda and because I can alter brain chemistry, they were never able to brainwash me or wipe my memory. The best they could do was threaten me. When I pulled Tony out of the Iron Man suit with my bare hands, he was so impressed that he made me a deal. He helped me fake my death, set me up here with a new identity to lay low, and then got me a job with private security. I’ve never actually worked for anyone but him so I’m pretty sure he is my employer.”

“Why did Steve ask you to step in on my mission and pull me out?”

“He said he knew things were going badly, he knows what I’m capable of, and I think he wants me to try to help you.”

“Help me? How?”

Alex leaned forward and put her empty beer bottle on the coffee table. She stood and stretched her arms above her head and arched her back. Bucky’s eyes were glued to her form and he had to force his hands to not reach for her. Where did that come from?

“That’s for another time, Sarge.” she grinned as she stood. “I want to take a shower before the storm hits. I hope you didn’t leave your wet towel on the floor, I hate that.”

Bucky watched her walk down the hallway to the second bedroom and close the door. Lost in thought, he stood and walked back to the porch. The storm clouds were now covering the entire area and the wind had picked up significantly. If her story was true, and he wanted to believe her, she understood him better than he could have imagined. Maybe being stuck here for a week wasn’t such a bad thing. He heard the shower begin to run and turned his thoughts away from her, the last thing he needed to be doing was imagining her in the shower. 

His mission, that was a safe place to let his brain dwell for a while. Steve had sent him on a solo mission, his first one since coming back from Wakanda. It was a typical stakeout-for-a-week type of mission and should have been simple, but something went wrong and Bucky wasn’t sure how or why. Somehow his mark knew he was being watched and then Hydra showed up in force. Instead of fighting in the middle of the street, Bucky ran and was in the process of hiding when Alex found him. Did she find him? She was already there when he burst through the door. He was lost in a million different speculations when the soft steps of her bare feet sounded behind him. 

“The storm is going to be big.” she said, stepping up to the porch rail next to him. 

“How did you know I was going to come through that particular doorway back in town?” he asked, never taking his eyes off the grey clouds. 

“I may have influenced you a little bit. I emitted a sense of comfort to you regarding the door, in essence, pulling you to it. I just wasn’t ready for you to come through it with such force.” she laughed. He turned to look at her with amazement in his eyes. She was wearing simple sleep shorts and a t-shirt. Her long hair hung wet down her back, darkening the back of her shirt. She wore no makeup but her beauty still shocked him. 

“Are you influencing me right now?” Bucky asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Alex studied him for a moment before moving to sit in one of the porch chairs, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. Bucky sat in the other chair, his eyes still on the sky. 

“Let’s make a deal, right here and now.” She started. Bucky simply looked at her and waited. “I promise that I will never lie to you. If you ask me a question that I cannot answer, I will tell you that I can’t answer it and why, even if the reason won’t make sense to you. Do you promise to always be truthful with me?”

“Remove all your influence over me before I promise so I know I’m doing it under my own power.” Bucky replied. She nodded and he immediately felt all of his anxieties return in a rush. He took a deep breath to steady himself and make sure his voice came out strong. “I promise to never lie to you. Now, tell me how you have been influencing me.”

“You have a lot of anxiety, Sergeant Barnes.” Alex began. “Since you knocked me to the ground back in town, I have been emitting a low level of calm over you. I figured I would help you get through your first night here and then slowly ease off until you were on your own again.”

“That’s all? Just, calm?”

“Yeah,” Alex turned confused eyes at him. “What else would I be doing? You don’t need anything else.”

“What else can you make me feel?” He asked, his body tense with his own speculation.

“I can make you feel anything really, but in order for you to truly accept it, a part of you has to want to feel that way. It works best when the person I’m working on is already feeling what I want them to feel, then I can simply amp up the volume and let them go. Do you want me to, um, enhance your calm?”

“Does it make you tired to keep that up all the time?”

“If I was trying to make you feel something you didn’t want to feel and you were fighting me, yes I would get tired. And possibly a nose bleed. But you want the calm and you easily accept it which means I don’t have to work very hard. So, no, you don’t tire me, Bucky.”

“Then, yes, I would like it back.” He nodded and the volume of his anxieties turned down. He took a breath and felt his shoulders relax. “When you went after Tony, what did you make him feel?”

“I worked off of his own insecurities and sorrows, mostly the death of his parents. It worked pretty well until his own narcissism kicked in and he realized that something was off.” Alex laughed at the memory. 

“I killed them.” Bucky whispered.

“No, James Barnes had nothing to do with that. The Winter Soldier that Hydra created did it.” she replied matter-of-factly as if she were relaying old news.

The rain finally began to fall, thunder and lightning quickly followed. Alex stood and walked to the railing, the wind picking up the drying wisps of her long and wiping them around her face. “I love storms, especially ones with lots of thunder and lightning.”

“Why?” Bucky loved all parts of a thunderstorm, it reminded him of the strength of nature and somehow grounded him. 

“Because it reminds me that I’m not in control of everything, nor do I have to be.” she answered so softly that he almost missed it. Lightning flashed and a few seconds later the thunder rolled. Alex shivered in the wind and turned to go inside, her arms wrapped around her middle. “I’m going to wash the dishes and make a cup of tea before we lose power.”

As she disappeared inside the house, Bucky stared at the sky and wondered at the enigma of this woman. He was drawn to her with an intensity that startled him. If all she was giving him was calmness, that meant that his desire for her came from himself. But he hardly trusted his mind anymore, so maybe that wasn’t true at all. Trying to pick up the pieces of himself that Hydra left scattered all over the place was more difficult than he had ever imagined. The thunder rolled again and the wind started to blow the rain onto the porch. Bucky stood and moved inside, closing and locking the door. 

“Bill,” Bucky said, giving his watch a tap. “Secure the perimeter and lock the house down for the night.”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes. Perimeter is secured. All entrances and windows are armed.” Bill replied. Bucky surveyed the living room, empty and secure. He heard the clinking of dishes from the kitchen and, stepping through the door, he saw a kettle of water about to boil. 

“Got enough water for two?” He asked softly.

“Of course,” she replied, putting the last plate on the drying rack. “Tea bags and mugs are in the cabinet over the stove, pick your pleasure.”

“What kind do you want?” He asked as he opened the cabinet.. 

“Peppermint please.” She responded while drying her hands. He pulled down two mugs and tea bags and poured the boiling water. Sitting at the table with the mugs, he watched her as she finished cleaning and sat across from him. The lights blinked a couple of times and then went out altogether. Alex moved from her chair to the counter and lit a candle and brought it back to the table. 

“Now, what else do you want to know?” She asked, handing Bucky a flashlight. 

“Your name.” The thunder rolled just then, punctuating Bucky’s words. Rain splattered against the dark kitchen window.

“Legally, Alex Tyler.” She replied, swirling her tea bag around in the steaming water. The smell of peppermint rose through the air. 

“What name were you born with?” He pushed further.

“Why do you want to know?” She asked, not meeting his eyes. 

“Because names mean something.”

“Are you hoping to divine my true nature by knowing the name I was given at birth?” She laughed, her eyes twinkling. 

“Something like that I guess.” He grinned. Alex’s smile softened, she stared down at her tea with that far away look in her eyes. 

“Elena,” she replied softly, her eyes raising to meet his. “My given name was Elena Dulca.”

“Elena,” he repeated thoughtfully. “It means shining light. It suits you.”

“How so?” She narrowed her eyes at him in the candlelight. 

“The way your eyes twinkle sometimes, it’s like you have a light behind them.” He replied with a blush creeping up his cheeks. 

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she began, taking a sip of her tea. “That twinkle is another sign that I’m using my power.”

“How else can I know?” He asked. “It might be important one day.”

“Well, besides the twinkle, if you want to know if I’m exerting my power over you, you have to take stock of yourself and be truly honest. Know yourself and know how you should feel and then compare that to what you are actually feeling.” She explained. “That’s how Tony figured me out. He knew he had insecurities, but he also knew his own narcissistic tendencies enough to know that his insecurities were taking over and they shouldn’t have been. But then, when I pulled him from the Ironman suit with my bare hands, it was kind of a dead give away that I wasn’t exactly a typical female.”

“Can we… um… experiment?”

“Excuse me?” 

“Make me feel something.” Bucky leveled his gaze at her, almost daring her. 

“Alright.” she replied, one eyebrow raising slightly. “Let me think for second.”

Buck leaned back in his seat and waited. His feelings were almost always unstable and as a result, he mostly turned his feelings off. So, in his mind, the challenge to her was going to be to make him feel much of anything at all. He shut down, folding his arms across his chest. She stared down at her tea for a second before turning her eyes back on him, staring hard at him. He was about to comment on her failure when suddenly, his face felt wet. He ran the back of his flesh hand across his cheek and it came back glistening with tears. He looked at her as the most profound sadness he had ever experienced washed over him such that he found it hard to take a breath. And then it was gone. 

“You cheated.” he huffed out. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, taking a sip of tea. 

“I’m always sad.”

“Deep down, yes, but you don’t express it. I enhanced and brought it out before you even knew it was happening. You can’t keep that kind of stuff locked inside, it’s not healthy. What Hydra did to us was bad enough without letting effect literally every area of our lives until the day we die. I refuse to live that way.”

“I’m sorry… for what Hydra did to you,” Bucky said almost shyly. 

“I’m sorry for what they did to you,” she replied, moving her hand to cover his. He looked up into her eyes and saw real sorrow, not pity. “They messed with you for years longer than they had me. You came out of it remarkably well considering everything they did to you.”

“Well?” Bucky scoffed. “I don’t think we have the same definition of the word. I’m not well. I’m a mess. I can hardly trust my own mind and I’m waiting for the day my own arm turns on me.”

“Listen, Sarge-“ Alex started.

“Bucky, call me Bucky.” He interrupted quietly. 

“Alright, Bucky. You are so close to being as whole as you want to be simply because you want to be. You are who you chose to be. Your past as the Winter Soldier is unfortunate and unforgettable, but that’s part of what makes you better. You know who you are have been and who you don’t want to be anymore. Most people have no clue who they don’t want to be. Now that you know who you don’t want to be, you can focus on who you want to be.”

“That kinda made my head hurt a little.” Bucky grinned. “But I think I understand what you are saying.”

“Good,” Alex drained her mug of tea and stood. “I’m going to turn in now. It’s been a long day of tracking you.”

“I can’t imagine that was much fun,” Bucky chuckled. 

“Not especially no.” Alex laughed. 

“What happens when you sleep? Will my calm go away?” Bucky asked nervously, blue eyes uncertain. He didn’t sleep well on a regular night, tonight was far from regular. 

“You probably need help sleeping,” Alex looked down into his eyes and saw the truth of him. “If you will trust me, I can help you get to sleep. I can’t promise how long you will stay sleeping though. I imagine you have nightmares and I can’t keep those away.”

“I trust you.” Bucky replied simply. 

“Alright, get ready for bed and call me.” Alex answered, walking out of the kitchen and down the hallway. Bucky shook his head with a grin. She was turned out to be more helpful than he had originally thought with the added bonus that he actually liked talking to her. He drained his tea and then put both mugs in the sink to be washed later. He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and got ready for bed. On his way out of the bathroom and into his room, he tapped his watch.

“Bill, everything locked down for the night?” He asked. 

“Yes, sir.” The AI replied. 

“I guess I’m ready for bed now.” Bucky said loudly in the hallway, not really sure what he should do. Alex stepped out of the office and gestured for him to go into his room.

“Lay down and get comfortable, this will work best if you lay down in the position you typically sleep in.” She instructed. Bucky laid down on his stomach, bunching the pillow up under his head and wrapping his arms around it. “I’m going to put my hands on your shoulders and on then on your head,” she explained. “I’m going to emit more calm and wellbeing over you until you relax and then basically, pull you into sleep.”

“Okay, I’m ready.” Bucky answered, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow. He felt the bed dip down as Alex kneeled next to him. Her warm hands rested on his shoulders, gently kneading his muscles. He felt the calm wash over him and he relished in it. It was rare he ever felt this way and he enjoyed it. Letting out a deep breath, her hands moved to his head and threaded through his hair. 

“Night, Ellie,” he whispered as he felt every muscle in his body relax and his last conscious thought was of her hands in his hair and how he could get used to that feeling. 

Bucky’s snores brought a smile to her face, she left her hands in his hair for a few minutes longer than she needed, just enjoying the feeling of the silky strands moving through her fingers. She slowly moved off of the bed and turned to look at him when she turned the light switch off. 

“Goodnight, Bucky. Sleep well.” She whispered as she pulled the door almost all the way closed. She wanted to hear him if he had a nightmare. Stepping back into the office, she opened the closet door and tapped a few keys until Tony’s face came on the screen.

“Everything going okay there?” He asked.

“Yes, everything’s fine. How are things there?” she asked. 

“Oh, you know,” Tony sighed, “typical Tuesday really. Cap’s upset because we can’t seem to watch our language, Fury’s well... Fury. And Pepper’s mad at me because I forgot her birthday again.”

“Well, you should work on that, Tony.” She replied with a smirk. “How is Sophie doing?”

“Oh she’s great! I may keep her here indefinitely. She likes me better than she likes you anyway, she told me so.” Tony smirked back.

“Not a chance,” she yawned. “I’m going to bed, I’ve just had a long day tracking a soldier.”

“Right, check in with me daily. I’ll tell Sophie you asked about her, not that she’ll care. She has me, after all.”

“Well, don’t get used to her.” Alex replied harshly. “Tell her I miss her and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Right.” Tony nodded and signed off. Alex stood and stretched. That wasn’t the conversation she wanted to have with him, but that was as good as it got for the time being. She moved into her bedroom, asking Bill to recheck the perimeter and lock down the house. As she snuggled down into her bed, her mind drifted to her houseguest. He had so much to offer the world, if he could only see the good man that he already was. He may be the shadow to Captain America’s light, but that didn’t mean he was bad. As she dropped off to sleep, she only hoped he would sleep well and not be plagued by nightmares. 

 

Bucky woke to the sound of someone calling out. At first, he thought it was him having a nightmare, but he didn’t recall having one. He was sleeping very deeply, perhaps deeper than he had slept in months. The cry came again, softer this time. He threw his blanket off and ran into the hallway, listening. A moan came from behind a closed door. Opening it, he found himself in her bedroom. She was wrapped up in her sheets and caught in her own nightmare. She writhed on the bed, trying to pull her arms free of the sheets. 

“Ellie,” he said loudly, stepping to the bed and pulling on the sheets to free her. She jerked awake and sat up so quickly that she almost head butted him. Her grey eyes were huge, her cheeks flushed pink, and her lips red from biting them in her sleep.

“Bucky?” she huffed out, uncertain. 

“It’s okay, you were having a nightmare.” He answered, brushing her long hair out of her face gently. 

“I’m sorry,” she responded, still breathing hard. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“It’s alright, if there’s anything I understand, it’s nightmares. Do you want to talk about it?”

“It was a pretty typical dream…” she struggled to scoot back to sit against the headboard, her legs still caught in the sheet. Bucky helped her move back and then sat next to her, taking her hand in his, encouraging her to talk to him. “I always dream that I’m back at Hydra and they are making me do things.”

“What kinds of things?” He asks. 

“There was someone there who could affect people’s minds stronger than I could. I can only affect feelings, they could affect what someone saw. Make them see terrible things. They partnered us together one time for an interrogation. He made the person see horrible things and I played his feelings against him to convince him what he was seeing was real.”

“What happened?”

“The man we were interrogating slammed his head into the wall so hard that he cracked his own skull open.” She shuddered against his side, scooting closer until she was almost behind his shoulder as the memories played out in her mind. 

"This person you were partnered with, who was he? What was his name?”

“His name was Roman. Hydra found him somewhere in Russia when he was a kid. After that I never saw him again. In my dreams, I see that man slamming his head into the wall again and again, trying to get the images and feelings out of his mind. I hear the sound of his skull hitting the wall over and over again.” She began to shake as tears started to flow.

“It’s alright, you’re not there anymore and you’re not that person.” Bucky moved his arms around her shoulders and pulled her head to rest on his chest. She took a couple of deep breaths before she pulled back to look up into Bucky’s eyes. 

“Thank you, I’m sorry I woke you up.” She said in a small voice that made her seem even smaller to him. He squeezed his arms around her shoulders. 

“Don’t worry about it, Doll. It looks like we’re going to be here for a little while so we might as well make the best of it.” He smiled down at her. 

“Did- did you call me Ellie when you came in?” She asked, her growing furrowing in slight confusion. 

“Yeah, I guess I did. Is that a problem?” He asked carefully, not wanting to upset her any more.

“No, it’s fine.” Her lips pulled up in a small smile. “No one but you , Tony, and Steve know who I was or where I came from. I actually liked my name before it got changed.”

“Good,” Bucky grinned and awkwardly unwrapped his arm from her shoulders. “I guess I’ll go back to bed.”

“Oh, um, okay, thank you, Bucky.”

“No problem.” Bucky smiled down at her as he stood and went back to his own room. Ellie snuggled back down in bed, wishing she had asked him to stay a little longer. But she needed to be strong for him. Without knowing the details, she felt like something big was coming and they would need to be ready for it. 

Bucky laid down in his bed with his mind on Ellie. She didn’t seem fully ready for him to leave yet and he would have stayed the rest of the night if she had asked. He laid his head down on his pillow and took a deep breath. He took stock of his own feelings and realized she was projecting calm over him from the other room. The corners of his mouth pulled up in a smile with her in and on his mind. 

Bucky woke with the scent of coffee and bacon filling his nostrils. After a quick visit to the bathroom, he wandered into the kitchen and leaned on the doorframe and watched her. Still in her sleep shorts and t-shirt, her hand hung down her back and swayed with her movements. She stood at the stove with her back him, pulling bacon out of the pan. 

“Morning,” she called over her shoulder, letting him know that she was aware of his presence. 

“Morning,” he mumbled, his voice still husky from sleep. “Coffee?”

“Over there,” she pointed to the counter next to the sink where a coffee pot worthy of Tony Stark himself gleamed in the morning light shining through the window. Two mugs sat on the counter waiting for the brewing to finish. Bucky stood in front it and stared it down with ice cold blue eyes, daring it to take too long to give him caffeine. His concentration was so intent that Ellie’s chuckle actually made him jump a little. 

“What’s funny?” He grumbled. 

“You.” She replied with a smile. “You’re not a morning person, are you?”

“No.” Bucky turned back to the coffee pot as it gurgled its last and the rest of the coffee dripped into the pot. He filled the mugs and handed one to Ellie. His eyes drifted closed as he took a sip and the hot bitter liquid drained down his throat. 

Ellie was about to answer when her watch began to beep loudly. “Incoming message,” she mumbled with a frown, walking to the office and opening the closet. Bucky followed with his coffee still in his hand. “It’s encrypted, that’s odd.” she said. Sitting down, she started tapping away at the buttons. Bucky leaned against the desk and waited. It took her about five minutes of work to decrypt the video. When she did, Steve’s face popped on the monitor. Ellie turned the sound up so Bucky could hear. 

“Alex and Bucky,” he started with a decidedly Captain America frown and authority. “This message is encrypted because there’s a mole somewhere in Tony’s network of people. That’s why your mission went south, Buck. I’m sorry to do this to you both right now, but I have a mission for you. In three days, in Prague, there will be a reception that you will need to attend. You are looking for this man,” a picture of an angry looking man took the place of Steve’s face. “We believe he’s the mole. Tony sent him to this reception on purpose. You are to find him and watch him. If he makes contact with people that we have already confirmed are Hydra, then take him out. If not, follow him back to the compound. Tony is sending everything you need, it should arrive at the house today. I’m afraid this is the only communication we can get out about this. Be safe you two.” Steve nodded and the screen went blank.

Ellie stood and turned to Bucky, who was still leaning on the desk taking in what Steve had said. He stared at the floor as thoughts worked through his mind. He saw an opportunity in this mission and he had missed so many in his life that he made an instant decision to not miss this one. If he was wrong, and sensed something that wasn’t there, he could live with that but he didn’t think he could live with not trying at all. Ellie moved to stand in front of him. 

“Well, partner, looks like we’re going to have a road trip!” she smiled up at him, clasping her hands in front of her. “How do you feel about that?”

Bucky stared at her and put his coffee down on the desk behind him. He stood to his full height before he answered. “Don’t you already know how I feel?” he asked, taking a slow step forward. 

“I could if I wanted,” she answered, taking a step back uncertainly, wringing her hands in the bottom of her tank top. 

“I feel like…” he said, stalking toward her slowly. “I feel like we’re going to be in pretty close quarters for a while watching this guy.”

“It sounds like that is a possibility.” she replied, taking a few more steps back until her back hit the wall. 

“And, if that’s the case, there’s something I would like to try first.” he answered, trapping her against the wall with a hand on either side of her. 

“And what’s that?” she asked, her eyes watching his cautiously. 

“First thing’s first, remove any influence you are putting on me right now.” he demanded gruffly. She blinked a couple times, nodded, and he felt his heartbeat begin to pick up as the calm he had been feeling drained away. Suddenly, he was nervous about what he was about to do, but it was too late to walk away. 

“Thank you,” he said softly, lowering his head to her level and gently pressed his lips against hers in a quick, testing kiss. Her lips instantly responded. 

“Are you sure?” she whispered when he pulled back a fraction. “I’m no angel.”

“Neither am I, doll. We both have to be sure because this could be messy. I’ve made my decision.” He lowered his arms, took a step back, and waited for her to make the next move. It had to be hers, her choice. He watched her eyes as she struggled for a moment. 

“I’ll need to go slow and there’s still no guarantee that I won’t freak out on you.” she said finally, biting her bottom lip nervously.

“Same here. We’re both a little broken, maybe we can heal together.” Bucky replied, his arms aching to reach for her. She took a step closer to him so that they were toe to toe. 

“Are you really sure?” she asked one more time. 

“Yes,” he whispered. 

“Then kiss me.” she replied with a small grin. 

Bucky grinned back as he wrapped his arms around her and brought his lips down on hers. His heart pounded in his chest when her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers dug through his hair. The kiss went on for a minute or an hour, either way, both were out of breath when they pulled back. 

“You taste like coffee and toothpaste.” Ellie breathed out. Bucky threw his back and laughed. 

“Is that bad?” he asked, a smirk settling on his face. 

“No, it’s not bad.” she replied, looking down as a blush crept up her cheeks. 

“Hey,” Bucky’s hand cupped her jaw and gently lifted her face so that he could see her eyes. “We’re going to have to become better communicators if this is gonna work. Talk to me, doll, what’s going through that beautiful head of yours?”

“I’m sorry, I was just…. It’s… it’s been quite a while since I’ve been kissed.”

“Me too… So, let’s take this slow. How about we eat breakfast?” he asked, running his hands down her arms. 

“That sounds good,” she grinned up at him. “I’m starving.” 

Ellie turned to go into the kitchen but before she could go very far, Bucky grabbed her hips and pulled her back to chest. 

“And for the record, these,” he hands rubbed circles on her hips through her thin sleep shorts, “are absolutely mesmerizing to me. And incredibly distracting.”

“Ummm… Thanks and sorry?” she laughed, giving his nose a kiss and squirming out of his grip. He let her go, grabbed his coffee cup and followed her to the kitchen. “So we have a couple of days to get to Prague, I’m sure Tony will include paperwork so we can cross the borders without issue. It’s about an 8 hour drive from here.”

Ellie continued to chat about things they could see and do in Prague if there was time as she pulled out eggs and vegetables from the fridge to make omelettes. Bucky sat at the table with a newly filled cup of coffee and watched her move around the small kitchen, he wanted to notice everything about her and memorize it. She had to stand on her toes to reach into the cabinets, her thighs jiggled a little when she walked, and when she stopped talking, she hummed to herself. In another life, he imagined how they would be married and settle down in a house much like this one with a little Stevie and possibly a little Becca running around. Bucky imagined holding his family in his arms in the small living room, reading his children stories. He looked down at his metal hand grasping the cup and realized with a sharp pang to his heart that those dreams would always just be dreams. 

A clang at the stove caught his attention, his head jerked up to see Ellie turn to him with tears in her eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry, I was just checking in to see if you needed calm back and I felt your sadness so suddenly that it shocked me.”

“It’s okay, I’m okay,” he soothed her, hold her head to his chest and running his fingers through her hair. 

“Do you need anything from me? Can I make it better?” she lifted her head.

“Doll, I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not. I thought we weren’t going to lie to each other, Bucky.” Ellie wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down to rest on her forehead. “I know it’s not easy, but please, let me help.”

“Alright,” Bucky whispered, his eyes closing as she ran her fingers through his hair and gently calmed his frantic heart and a slow wave a comfort washed over him and actually made him a little warmer. The warmth slowly dissipated but the calm remained. His heart beat at a normal rate and, opening his eyes, he took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Ellie replied with a grin. “Ready to eat now?”

“Yes please.” He dropped a kiss on her nose and returned to the table.

Ellie plated the food and they had just finished eating when Bill announced that a package had been delivered and left on the porch. 

“Showtime.” Bucky said as he rose to retrieve the package Tony had sent. 

Ellie and Bucky spent the rest of the morning going through what Tony had sent. In a huge box, there were enough clothes to last them a few days, including a tux and dress for the reception. Ellie sorted through passports and other paperwork so that they could travel easier while Bucky pulled out the easily concealed weaponry Tony had included. 

From his place on the couch, Bucky watched Ellie as she sat on the floor. They already had such an easy companionship that he wasn’t even a little hesitant to hold up a thin throwing knife in a sheath with a strap attached. 

“This is yours, I assume?” He asked, one eyebrow raising. Ellie looked up from the floor and grinned. 

“Yes, it straps around my thigh.”

“There’s room for this in that dress?” He question, eyeing the thin material of the dress laying over the back of the couch. 

“Yes,” Ellie got up on her knees and scooted over to kneel in front of him, taking the knife. “It straps on the inside of my thigh.” She said with a little blush creeping up her cheeks. 

“Oh really? Will you be needing any help with that?” He asked, grinning as she blushed deeper. “So you’ll to be ready to protect me should anything come up?”

“Only if you can’t protect yourself, soldier.” She replied with a smirk. Bucky leaned down and dropped a kiss on her lips. 

“I think I would feel more at ease if maybe we spared a little bit so I can see what you’re capable of in a fight.” He said with a grin.

“Oh yeah?” She smirked and stood to her feet. “Anything to make you feel better, Sarge. Follow me.” Ellie turned and walked to the kitchen and then down to the basement. There was a square mat leaning against the wall which she pulled down and it slapped against the floor causing a cloud of dust to puff up. 

“Alright,” Ellie stepped onto the mat and assumed a fighting stance. “Come at me, see what happens.”

Bucky stepped onto the mat, determined just to make sure she was be okay in a fight, not to hurt her or actually fight with her. He threw a few light punches which she easily deflected followed by a sweep of the legs which she hopped over. Taking it up a notch, he threw harder punches, she deflected, ducked, and rolled out of his way. Standing to her feet again, she made a show of yawning. Bucky pulled out the stops and started punch like he does when he trains with Steve. It kept her busy but he couldn’t lay a punch on her. He stopped, breathing a little heavy. 

“My turn now?” She asked, stepping forward. Ellie grabbed his metal arm and before he knew it, he was on his back on the mat. He stood and, hoping to catch her off guard, threw a few combinations with some kicks. He pulled back his metal arm and let it fly only to be astounded when she caught it and he ended up on his back again. “And that’s without filling your mind with paralyzing fear. Convinced?” She asked, standing over him. 

“I guess you’ll be okay,” he remarked conversationally as he pulled himself off of the dusty mat. “But now I need a shower. Care to join me?”

“Remember that whole ‘taking it slow’ conversation we had a few hours ago? That includes showering together for the time being.” Ellie replied, making for the stairs. “You’re on your own, Sarge.” She tossed over her shoulder as she moved up the stairs. 

Bucky chuckled and picked up the mat and put it back against the wall. She was quick and very strong. Whatever Hydra did to her to give her strength didn’t bulk her up the way the formula had him. And it certainly didn’t affect her the way Steve’s formula had affected him. She was still the same body as she always was, just incredibly strong. She was probably always quick, the added strength just allowed her to move faster. He shook his head and went upstairs for a quick shower. 

Ellie kept herself busy in the office, making sure everything was taken care of in case they didn’t come back. She got Tony online and checked in, everything was still a go. Tony was concerned about her with Bucky but knew better than most that she could take care of herself. Signing off, she leaned back in the desk chair, letting her thoughts take wing. 

Bucky was an amazing person, she thought that even before she had met him. But now, knowing him and spending time with him, she saw what Steve had warned her about. Bucky doesn’t trust himself. He doesn’t trust his own feelings or instincts. Hydra really did a number on him. Ellie puffed out a breath and made a tentative plan on how she could help him, if he let her that is. He was resistant to her helping him earlier, what would need to change so that he trusted her to help him? He needed to be able to trust himself and her in order from him to truly find healing. Maybe Sophie would help too. She had certainly helped Ellie with her leftover issues from being Hydra’s plaything. 

Ellie and Bucky stayed mostly to themselves for the rest of the day, each lost in their own thoughts, getting ready for the upcoming mission. Over dinner, they decided to leave in the morning to give them a day to settle in and find the guy before the reception. Tony included a file on him in their box of stuff. Ellie put Bucky to sleep, the same as the night before, except he asked her to stay after he was sleeping. As tempting as it was, Ellie wasn’t really ready for that kind of closeness. As soon as Bucky was snoring, Ellie moved back to her own bed. She had only been sleeping for an hour before she was awakened by Bucky’s calling out. 

She ran to his room, ready for anything, and found him thrashing under his sheet. Moving quickly across the room, she sat on his bed and began to try and loosen him from his sheets. His metal arm suddenly ripped through the sheet and his hand wrapped around her neck.

“Bucky!” she yelled, gripping his metal wrist and pushing his shoulder. His eyes snapped open and widened as they focused on her face. “Let me go.” she demanded softly. Trembling with tears starting to roll down his face, he released his grip on her neck. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” he cried as he let his arm fall to the bed. She wordlessly laid down next to him and cradled his head against her chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tightly as he cried. 

“It’s alright,” she said softly, running her fingers through his hair. She let him cry until her shirt was soaked and when his breathing began to return to normal, she slowly calmed him until he fell back to sleep still wrapped around her. Ellie’s mind stayed focused on Bucky until she finally slipped into sleep, her arms full of the man that her heart was slowly becoming devoted to. 

Bucky woke slowly. He was warm and there was something very soft in his arms. Opening his eyes and looking up, he saw Ellie’s peaceful face, her head resting on his pillow, her long hair flowing over the sides. His head was pillowed on her shoulder and he had both of his arms wrapped around her middle. Giving her a gentle squeeze, he gently burrowed his face into the cascade of hair falling down her shoulder. He could definitely get used to waking up like this. Ellie squirmed and stretched as she woke, stopping once she realized where she was and that heavy thing wrapped around her was Bucky’s arm and not her blanket. She turned and was met by Bucky’s blue eyes and sweet smile. 

“Morning,” he mumbled, his mouth muffled slightly by her shoulder and hair. 

“Morning,” she replied, moving her hair out of his face, revealing her neck. Bucky’s eyes immediately locked in on the bruise in the suspicious shape of his thumb. His jaw fell slack and dread filled him. 

“I did that?” he whispered, afraid to move. “Last night?”

“Yes,” she replied, lifting her hand to thread through his hair again. He felt a wave of calm come over him but shook his head.

“No, no calm, I don’t deserve it.” he struggled to get away from her but she held fast to him, her strength and his prone position working against him. She quickly threw one of her legs over his waist and straddled him, holding his wrists above his head, her long hair creating a curtain around their heads. He turned, unable to look at her. 

“Now you listen to me, James Barnes.” she began, commanding his gaze with her firm tone. “You did not do anything wrong. You had a nightmare and are not responsible for your reaction. Of all the people in this world, I’m one of the few who can take anything you can dish out.”

“But-”

“No buts. I chose to walk in here, I chose to sit on your bed, and I chose help you.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered. 

“You didn’t.” she replied softly, a smile spreading across her as she leaned closer to him. “You didn’t hurt me, Bucky. This mark will be gone before breakfast is over.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, stretching his arms above his head on the pillow, bringing her face closer to his. 

“I’m sure.” she replied, her face stopping an inch from his. 

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his blue eyes searching her grey ones for any sign of hesitancy. 

“Of course.” she replied with a shy smile before he closed the inches between them and gently moved his lips against hers.. He expertly rolled them over in small bed, his tongue dancing with hers as her fingers threaded through and softly pulled at his hair. He held his weight on his metal arm and his flesh hand landed on her hip and began to move up her side. The instant his fingers touched the sliver of exposed skin above her shorts, she jumped and gasped beneath him. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern pulling at his eyebrows. 

“It’s um, it’s been a while since anyone has touched me like that.”

“Like what?” he asked, confused because his fingers had barely grazed her side.

“Um… like they want me.” she whispered, turning her face away, not meeting his eyes. Bucky moved from on top of her to laying by her side and pulled her into his arms, gently pulling on her hair to make her look at him and talk. “I can deal with anger, aggression, nightmares, shows of strength, but gentleness still throws me for a loop sometimes. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “We will go slow and never do anything you don’t want. Know that I’m not afraid to deal with any fear you might have. I want to help you and be here for you, whatever that looks like. After all, you’re not afraid of my nightmares.”

“Bucky?”

“Yeah?”

“Are we… is this… what love feels like?”

“I think this is what the beginning of love feels like. I don’t know that I’ve ever been in love before but I do know that I’ve only ever felt this comfortable around one other person.”

“Steve?”

“How did you know?”

“Because I feel the same around him.”

Bucky smiled and pulled Ellie close, wrapping his arms and legs around her, trapping her. “Doll, I could happily stay right here for the rest of the week.”

“I think I could too,” she replied, burrowing into his neck and shoulder. 

“But I think we have a mission to accomplish.” he mused. 

“Do we?” her voice was muffled as her lips moved against his neck. 

“Yes, we can’t get distracted,” he managed to get out with a sigh, his eyes closing as he reveled in the feel of her filling his arms and her breath on his neck. It had been a very long time since he was this close to someone. 

“Alright,” she sighed as she began to wiggle out of his grasp and climbing out of the bed. “Let’s get moving then. You shower first and I’ll start breakfast.”

Bucky grinned and jumped out of bed, giving her a slap on the ass as he walked by. “Whatever you say, doll.”

Breakfast, showers, packing, and cleaning was over before either were truly ready. They tossed their bags in the back of the car and started out for Prague. Their hearts wanting to stay in the little house, but their minds knowing that the mission awaits. 

Getting to Prague, getting set up in the small hotel room and finding their mark across the street in his own hotel room took Bucky and Ellie less than 10 hours. Being professionals, they had no trouble falling into their old habits and including each other in them. The first night was uneventful, each taking turns sitting up to watch and listen. Their mark apparently had no idea he was being watched. He spent his evening watching TV and ordering room service. He didn’t turn down the call girl who came to his door asking if he required her services. As much as Ellie wanted to turn her headphones down for that part, she forced herself to listen, making sure no secrets were exchanged while the bed rhythmically slammed against the wall. 

The next day, Bucky tailed him as he wandered through the market and the sights while Ellie slept. He gently woke her when it was time to get ready for the reception. It had been quite some time since Bucky put on a tux and tied a bowtie. He stepped out of the bathroom to see if Ellie could help him with the tie and what he saw stopped him in his tracks, his jaw hanging open. Ellie stood in the front of the floor length mirror in the dress that Tony sent. It was midnight blue, draped over one shoulder, leaving the other shoulder completely bare. The thin material gathered under black jewels at her waist and hung down to the floor. Her long hair was pulled up in what he could only describe as a fancy ponytail while the rest hung gracefully down her back in loose curls that cried out to his fingers to touch. When his gaze finally returned to her face, her mouth was moving and he realized she was talking. 

“What?” He asked dumbly, still unable to take his eyes from her. 

“I said, does this look alright?” She asked, her eyes growing concerned as she gazed at him from across the room. 

“Umm…” Bucky swallowed hard looking into her eyes. No twinkle, she wasn’t making him feel anything on purpose. He strode over to stand in front of her, letting his hands run down her arms. “Doll, you look absolutely gorgeous, distracting even. I’m going to have to work very hard to focus on anything other than you.”

“Perhaps that’s the point,” she smirked, reaching up and to tie his bowtie. “You don’t look bad yourself, Sarge.”

“We had better get a move on if we don’t want to be very late,” he said smiling down at her. Standing this close and as short as she was, he had an excellent view of her cleavage and he wanted to get this mission over with so he could be more singularly focused. He allowed himself to run his hand from her shoulders down to her hands, letting his eye roam over her crystal clear grey eyes, honey brown hair, and pale skin. Her cheeks rosy with blush and her lips dark red and extremely kissable. He knew if he started something, he might not want to stop, so he simply let his hands drop. “Let's get out of here and get this over with.” 

When they arrived the reception was already in full swing. The dance floor was full, the 10 piece orchestra working hard for their pay. Officials in uniforms and civilians in tuxedos and gowns milled around chatting loudly. Bucky and Ellie made their way to the dance floor to get a full scope of the room. They were largely ignored as Ellie was emitting a shield of apathy around them, making everyone not care who they were or why they were there. As they waltzed in big circles, each took stock of the people in the room, the exits and even the balcony the wrapped around the room. On one of the last whirls around the floor, Bucky spotted their mark talking with a man in a general’s uniform. General of what, Bucky didn’t know but he turned Ellie so she could see. 

“That’s General Markson he’s talking to.” She informed in a whisper. 

“Hydra?” Bucky asked tensely. 

“He’s suspected to be, but I don’t recognize him from my time there.”

“I don’t either.” The waltz ended and the crowd politely clapped for the orchestra. They took a quite bow and started a new song. Bucky led Ellie off the dance floor and right into a man. He was tall, taller than Steve and ten times more aggressive looking than Bucky on a Winter Soldier day.

“Elena,” he said with a heavy Russian accent, venom practically dripping from his slinky smile. 

“Roman,” Ellie replied smoothly, her eyes the sparkliest that Bucky had ever seen them as she worked her power on the man. “It’s been such a long time, how are you?” She asked, oozing sweetness.

“I have been busy, very busy. Here on business, as I imagine you are as well?”

“Oh no, this is pleasure.” Ellie replied, trying to pull Bucky behind her in an effort to block Roman’s view of him. But a five feet of any human couldn’t hide Bucky. 

“And who is this?” Roman asked, his voice hissing on his “s” like a snake. “He looks vaguely familiar, I think.”

“This is no one of consequence,” Ellie replied, her voice becoming harder, her grip on Bucky’s hand become stronger. If she had had his flesh hand, she might have broken it by now.

“Ah, Elena,” Roman smiled down at her as if she were a tiny, disobedient child. “You know your powers don’t work on me, why waste the energy trying? You’ll only hurt yourself, you know. At any rate, I must get back to work, as I’m sure you must as well.”

“Yes of course,” Ellie replied, still keeping her death grip on Bucky. Roman clicked his heels together, bowed slightly, and then moved off. Ellie let out a breath and pulled Bucky to the side of the room under an alcove. 

“Who were you talking to?” Bucky asked. “I saw someone in front of you for a moment but then he walked away, but you kept talking.”

“He didn’t walk away, Bucky, he stood there and talked to me.” Ellie replied. “That was Roman, he made you think he had walked away. That’s what he does. He makes people see things that aren’t there.”

“What are we going to do?” Bucky asked, concerned for her safety more than ever now. 

“The mission. We have a job to do and we’re going to do it.” Ellie replied with a fiery determination. “I don’t know what Roman is up to here, but he will not keep me from doing my job. His powers don’t work on me any more than mine work on him, so just stay close and I’ll make sure he doesn’t get to you again.”

Bucky nodded hesitantly. He didn’t love this idea and wanted to scrap the mission and take Ellie home to New York where she would be safe. But she was right, they had a mission to accomplish. 

 

As Bucky leaned against one of the many pillars lining the large hall, he noticed that the reception seemed to be winding down. Ellie had convinced him that she would be fine mingling among the crowd by herself. He posted himself where he could see her with as little as possible obstructing his view. He watched her talk to various dignitaries, her grey eyes sparkling the entire time, charming everyone. He knew she was using her power to charm them, but she didn’t really need to. Her laugh floated over the air to him like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. He realized with a start that he was falling hard for her.

Ellie laughed at someone’s joke and glanced over at Bucky. His blue eyes never left her, giving her a surge of confidence that she wouldn’t have had otherwise. He was as strong as she was physically, but he was so much stronger than her in other ways. She realized as she nodded along with the conversation that she needed him. Not just needed him, she loved him. Had she ever loved anyone before? She couldn’t remember. If she had, it wasn’t love because she had never felt this way about anyone before. She turned from her current conversation, realizing that she wasn’t going to get any new information out of this general. 

Walking over to Bucky, she winked and stood on the other side of the post. Weaving a shield of apathy about them towards the crowd, everyone ignored them. 

“Well, we might be just about done here.” she said softly. 

“I think we have enough evidence to point a finger at the mole in Tony’s organization,” Bucky agreed. “One more dance before we go?”

“Of course,” Ellie grinned and slipped her hand into his as he led her to the dance floor. A slow song was playing so it didn’t take much more than some gentle swaying to blend in. “Bucky?” she whispered, standing on her toes to get as close to his ear as her short legs would allow. 

“What, doll?” he whispered back, leaning down and letting his head rest against hers. 

“I think that I might be in love with you.” she confessed softly. Bucky pulled back and looked deep into her gray eyes with a room-brightening smile. 

“I think that I might be in love with you too,” he grinned as he mirrored her confession. 

“What do we do about it?” she asked, her eyebrows drawing together in concern. “We don’t exactly live normal lives.”

“Have you ever thought of joining the Avengers?” he asked with a wink. “I might need a partner.”

“I don’t think they would let me, given my past.” she sadly shook her head. 

“Look at who you’re talking to, doll,” he answered, “if Fury will accept me, you’re a shoe-in.”

Ellie still looked skeptical, but she nodded. The song ended and they made their way to the edge of the room. 

“Let me go to the bathroom and then we can get out of here.” she said. Bucky nodded and stood against the wall to wait. Ellie gave his hand a squeeze and walked away toward the bathroom. Bucky scanned the crowd as he waited, noticing the few remaining dignitaries begin to pair off and leave the reception. His thoughts began to wander about Ellie’s question. What should they do about being in love? Their lives are far from normal and if Fury doesn’t accept her, would he leave the Avengers to be with her? Would he chose her over everything else? At this very moment, he wasn’t honestly sure if he could do that. He agreed with the mission the Avengers fought for and knew that he could be an asset in that mission. 

He was so wrapped up in the angst of his thoughts that the instant flash of blinding panic that slammed through him stole his breath, a picture of Roman entering his mind. It stopped just as quickly as it came. He moved quickly to the bathroom and knocked softly before he slipped through the door. The three stalls were all empty, the two sinks were dry, and the window was opened. Taking a closer look at the sink nearest the window, he saw the white porcelain was cracked down one side and a single drop of blood was on the floor next to it. He pushed the window pane and saw more blood on the outside of the building. The bathroom was on the second floor, but the jump down wouldn’t have been a problem for Ellie or worse, Roman. 

Bucky paused, searching his feelings for anything more from her. Nothing. All feeling from her had stopped. He wasn’t sure how far the range of her powers extended but he knew that first flash of panic was from her and he was absolutely certain why. Roman had her. Hydra had her. She was gone. But not for long…. 

 

“You can’t! You will ruin everything we have worked for here!” Tony’s voice yelled across the room. 

“If what we have here is so fragile that I can break it, then maybe it needs to be ruined!” Bucky shouted back. 

“You can’t just storm a Hydra base to get your girlfriend back!”

“We storm Hydra bases all the time! What does it matter what I want from them?”

“You are letting your personal feelings interfere with this mission!”

“Since when did that matter to you, Stark? Everything is personal to you!”

Steve sighed as he watched Bucky and Tony continue yelling at each other. Bucky had come straight back to New York to get reinforcements and report back on their mark after Ellie had been taken. Bucky wanted to go back into Prague and bust Ellie out. Tony wanted to take out the mole and then follow chain of command and let someone else get Ellie back. As the two men continued shouting back and forth, Steve made a decision and stood, cutting off Bucky and Tony with a hand up in each direction. 

“Tony, you take care of the mole and bring Fury up to date. Bucky and I will take a jet and retrieve Ellie.” he said with all of his Captain America authority. 

“Steve, I can’t ask you to help me with this,” Bucky said, shaking his head. 

“You didn’t ask me, I volunteered. I’m not letting you go in there alone, Buck. Not when a guy like Roman is waiting for you.” 

“You realize that that’s part of the reason they took her, right Winter Fairy?” Tony asked. “They want you back and they know you will come for her. Roman is going to sitting pretty waiting for you to show up. One misdirection and you’re back with Hydra before you realize what’s happening.”

“That’s not going to happen.” Bucky replied adamantly. 

“How do you know?” Tony countered. 

“Because I won’t let it happen,” Steve replied when Bucky simply stared at his boots. 

“Alright, Cap.” Tony finally agreed. “Let's get you two airborne and I’ll get take care of the mole.”

“Just like that you’re on my side?” Bucky asked incredulously. 

“I’m always on your side, Barnes, even when it doesn’t seem like it.” Tony responded. “Tell me what you need, FRIDAY will make sure everything is ready to go in thirty minutes.”

Bucky rattled off a list of supplies and Tony nodded, telling them to go prep the jet and everything would be brought to them. Steve and Bucky got to the jet at the same time as all their supplies and just as they were getting ready to close the door and power up the engines, Tony ran up the ramp with a large, blond lab in tow. 

“What’s this?” Bucky asked, eyeing the dog.

“This is a dog, genius.” Tony answered in his typical smartass way. “This is Sophie, take her with you, Ellie might need her when you get back to the jet.”

“Why would Ellie need a dog?” Steve asked, taking the leash from Tony. 

“Sophie is Ellie’s PTSD dog. Being taken by Hydra again might send her into a tailspin and Sophie can help bring her out of it.” Tony supplied, looking from Steve to Bucky. “Just put her in the back of the jet and make sure Ellie gets her as soon as possible.”

Bucky nodded, not sure how he felt about Ellie needing anything or anyone but him, but Sophie looked up at him with large brown eyes and he couldn’t turn her away. He took the leash from Steve and Tony went back down the ramp. Steve got them off the ground and headed toward Prague. 

“What’s your plan?” Steve asked as Bucky took the copilot’s seat. 

“I’m thinking that Ellie will know when I’m close, she will be expecting me. I’m hoping that she will sense me and show me the way.”

“What do you mean, she can only affect feelings.” Steve questioned.

“When we first met, she made me feel a certain way about a door, causing me to go through it.” Bucky explained. “I’m hoping she will sense me coming and use that same system to lead me to her. The real problem is going to be Roman.”

“He can put images in your head, right?”

“Yeah, he is pretty powerful. I probably need to go in alone so that he can’t play us against each other.” Bucky said.

“Not a chance.” Steve answered immediately. “Can Roman affect what we hear?”

“I don’t think, he can affect if we can hear or see him, but not hearing other people. When he met Ellie at the reception, I saw her and heard her talking to him, but he made me think he had walked off and Ellie was speaking to no one.”

“That’s strange.” 

“Yeah.”

“We will go in together, keeping comms open at all times and only believe what we hear from each other in the comms. If we hear each other supposedly talking to the other, speak up through the comms.”

“Agreed.” Bucky said.

The two flew in silence for a little while until a whimper was heard behind them. Bucky turned and saw Sophie sitting behind their chairs. 

“I thought you put her in the back room?” Steve asked.

“I did,” Bucky replied, moving to sit on the floor beside the dog. “She must have gotten out. Smart girl. Don’t worry, Sophie, we will get her back for you.”

Sophie whimpered again and licked the side of Bucky’s face from chin to ear. Bucky laughed and wrapped his arm around the dog, comforting her with the weight of his metal arm. He stayed on the floor with her for the rest of the flight, even falling asleep for a little while using Sophie as a pillow. Steve glanced behind him a couple of times, smiling at the sight of his best friend snoozing with the dog. He hated to wake him, but Bucky woke up when the jet landed. 

“We’re here.” Steve said, putting the plane on standby. 

“Alright,” Bucky patted Sophie and stood. “Comms check. Weapons check. I’ll put Sophie back in the back room.”

Ready to go, Steve and Bucky began the mile long hike to the base, Bucky determined to save his love and Steve determined to bring her home safely so that his best friend could have a chance at the life he had always dreamed of.

Steve and Bucky entered the Hydra base as quietly as they could. Taking out the few guards with stealth, they started down the hallways, waiting for Bucky to feel Ellie. It didn’t take long before they hit a dead end. Turning back, they start down another hallway that looked just like the last one. Taking one last turn, they ran into another dead end. Turning one more time, Bucky tapped the comm in his ear. 

“I think we’re being herded.” he said softly. “One more hallway and then we change tactics.”

Steve nodded and followed Bucky down the hallway. Halfway down the hall, Bucky paused. Steve turned and raised his eyebrows. Bucky took a deep breath and put his hand out on the wall. He had a strong feeling that he was missing something that was right in front of him. Desperation mixed with slight frustration filled him. He hadn’t been feeling that a few seconds ago, so he ran his hand up and down the wall until he found a doorknob. As soon as his hand gripped it, the wall dissolved to reveal a door. He nodded at Steve, who stood ready. Opening the door, Bucky’s eye widened when he saw Ellie standing in the middle of an empty room, Roman behind her with gun to her head. Ellie’s grey eyes were filled with tears, she blinked and the tears made tracks down her cheeks. Steve stood to the side, ready to follow Bucky’s lead. 

After a split second decision, Bucky charged at Roman and ran straight through him. Steve blinked as the image disappeared completely and the room was indeed empty. Bucky stood in the middle, his eyes closed, breathing deeply. He needed to get a grip on his own raging emotions so he could feel Ellie’s pull. Pushing aside his own need to find her and have her, he focused his thoughts and waited for her direction. He felt Steve move on his left, ready for anything. After a few seconds of waiting, Bucky felt the strongest sense of urgency on his right. He turned and followed it right through another hidden door and found himself in a small room on the looking side of a one-way mirror. Inside that room, Ellie was strapped to a chair and Roman was standing just inside the door, gun in hand. 

Ellie looked straight at him, her eyes devoid of tears but sparkling. Bucky took aim and shot the mirror away. It crashed the floor and he and Steve leaped through the opening. Roman jumped behind Ellie and held his gun to her head. 

“Very good, Soldier,” Roman leered, his heavy Russian accent filling the room. “How did you know that this wasn’t another illusion?”

“Ellie’s eyes.” Bucky growled, his gaze leveled at Roman. He trusted Steve to have his back, no matter how this fight went down. Roman choked out a laugh as Bucky and Steve slowly moved to stand on either side of the room. 

“Be still, Soldier,” Roman commanded, moving the gun from Ellie’s head to point it at Bucky. Without warn, he squeezed the trigger, grazing Bucky’s arms and knocking him to the ground.. Bucky looked into Ellie’s eyes and tried his best to communicate to her. Whether he got through or not, she blinked a couple of times and the sparkle in her eyes grew larger and brighter. Roman’s breathing sped up and something unseen force began to take hold of him. He stumbled back a couple steps, looking down at Ellie surprised. She glanced back to him over her shoulder, tilted her head down a notch, and continue pumping pure panic into him. Bucky and Steve watched as a silent war was waged between the two. Roman held his hand out toward Ellie, his power reverberating through the air at her. Still strapped to the chair, she narrowed her eyes, the light coming from them turning into beams directed at Roman’s chest. The room itself began to shake slightly as the two battled. Roman’s sweat was pouring down his red face as Bucky reached and untied Ellie. She stood and turned to face Roman and raise her palms to face him. With a shout, clutched his chest as he fell. When his body hit the ground, Ellie passed out into Bucky’s arms, a trickle of blood coming from her nose. 

“What just happened?” Steve asked. 

“I’m not sure, but I can hazard a guess.” Bucky answered, lifting Ellie in his arms. “Let’s get out of here.”

 

Back at the Avenger’s compound, Ellie woke on a mattress on the floor. At first, she couldn’t remember where she was or why she was on the floor until a cold nose pushed into the palm of her hand. 

“Sophie!” she cried as she wrapped the blond lab in her arms. “I missed you so much!”

“She missed you too.”

Ellie jumped up, pulling Sophie behind her, ready to defend the dog as a figure stepped out of the shadows. 

“Bucky,” she whispered as his strong arms came around her. As her knees gave out, Bucky lowered them both onto the mattress. “Where are we? Why am I on the floor? What happened to Roman?”

“We are safe,” Bucky began, letting his eyes roam over her face and his fingers threaded through her long hair. “We are at the Avengers compound. You’re on the floor because Sophie was throwing a fit that she couldn’t get up on the bed with you, so Bruce and I put you on the floor. And you really don’t remember what happened to Roman?”

“No, what happened?” she asked. 

“According to the autopsy, you gave him a heart attack.” 

“What? How did I do that? And why don’t I remember it?”

“I’m not sure how you did it, doll, but it was you. Roman shot me, grazed my arm, and the sparkle in your eyes went wild and you and Roman fought. And then he clutched his chest and was down and you passed out. Steve picked him up and we came back here. That was yesterday.”

“The last thing I remember is seeing you get shot,” Ellie sat up and put a hand on the bandage on Bucky’s flesh arm. 

“Yeah, after that your eyes started to really light up and you let Roman have it.” Bucky grinned. 

“Well, you needed protecting.” Ellie smiled back and snuggled into Bucky’s chest. His arms wrapped around her and held her close. Sophie climbed up and wedged herself between Bucky’s outstretched legs. He rested a head on her head as she laid her chin on his thigh. 

Outside the room, Steve smiled at the picture his best friend made with his arms wrapped around a woman and a dog. All three completely loving and accepting of the others. He turned to leave and bumped into Tony, who’s eyes were trained on the trio through the glass. 

“You okay, Tony?” Steve asked, his eyebrows coming together in concern. 

“Sure fine.” Tony shook himself from his thoughts. “I wasn’t against this, you know.”

“I know. You think Fury will bring Ellie on the team?”

“He doesn't have to, she already works for me, she just doesn’t know it.”

“Well, then, we might have to look into getting Bucky and Ellie an apartment in the tower.”

“Already done, Cap.” Tony grinned and the two men turned to leave. Bucky, Ellie, and Sophie remained on the mattress, wrapped up in each other and love. Bucky sighed happily as he looked down in the Ellie’s grey eyes. He never imagined that he would find love after Hydra and certainly not with someone who not only understood him like Ellie but with someone who was as strong as he was and just as stubborn. He grinned down at Sophie. Life was about to get a lot more fun from here on out.


End file.
